Hiring a sales representative: job description template and interview questions
Everything you need to post a sales representative job and interview candidates: a template you can copy and edit, interview questions with what a good answer shows, and pay benchmarks from federal data.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
Sales Representative job description template
Copy this template and replace the parts in [brackets]. Keep only the responsibilities and requirements that are true for your job.
Sales Representative
Location: [City, State or remote] · Schedule: [Full-time, part-time, shifts] · Pay: [$X to $Y per year]
We are looking for a sales representative to build a pipeline of new customers, lead discovery calls and demos, and close deals that meet our targets. Sales experience is a plus; we will train driven people with strong communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and provide ongoing support.
- Answer customers' questions about services, prices, availability, or credit terms.
- Develop sales presentations or proposals to explain service specifications.
- Create forms or agreements to complete sales.
- Contact prospective or existing customers to discuss how services can meet their needs.
- Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
- Quote prices, credit terms, contract terms, or fulfillment dates for services.
Requirements
- Active Listening skills
- Speaking skills
- Reading Comprehension skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Reliable attendance and availability for the scheduled shifts
What we offer
- [Pay range and how often you pay]
- [Benefits, such as health insurance, paid time off or an employee discount]
- [Training and growth, such as promotion paths]
How much to pay a sales representative
The U.S. median annual wage for sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel was $69,990 in May 2025 ($33.65 an hour). Pay differs a lot from state to state.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $18.26 | $37,980 |
| 25th | $22.92 | $47,670 |
| Median (50th) | $33.65 | $69,990 |
| 75th | $48.31 | $100,480 |
| 90th | $71.56 | $148,840 |
| Mean | $39.63 | $82,430 |
Sales Representative salary in every state
Sales Representative interview questions
- Sell me something you use every day.
What to listen for: Asking about my needs before talking features. - Tell me about a time you heard no and kept going.
What to listen for: Resilience and a change of approach, not just repetition. - How do you prepare for a first call with a prospect?
What to listen for: Research and specific questions. - A prospect says the price is too high. What do you do?
What to listen for: Understanding the real objection before discounting. - How do you organize your follow-ups?
What to listen for: A system, usually in a sales tool or calendar. - Tell me about a goal you set and hit.
What to listen for: Specific numbers and what they did to get there. - What do you do when a deal you expected to close goes quiet?
What to listen for: A thoughtful follow-up plan, not pressure. - Why sales, and why this product?
What to listen for: Genuine interest and an understanding of the customer.
Skills to look for
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Social Perceptiveness
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Service Orientation
Source: O*NET importance ratings for this occupation.
Hiring sales representatives?
Post the job on Jobder, add an optional video of up to 45 seconds, and review applications one at a time with a yes or a pass. Free signup is open for job seekers and employers.
Hiring kits for related roles
- Customer Service Representative hiring kit
- Retail Sales Associate hiring kit
- Cashier hiring kit
- Retail Store Supervisor hiring kit
- Stocker and Order Filler hiring kit
- Fast Food and Counter Worker hiring kit
Sales Representative career guide · Sales Representative salary by state
Sources and methodology
Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database
Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.
Frequently asked questions
What should a sales representative job description include?
A short summary of the role, the main responsibilities, the qualifications you actually require, the schedule, the location and the pay range. Listing pay helps candidates decide quickly, and some states and cities require pay ranges in job postings.
How much should I pay a sales representative?
The U.S. median annual wage for sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel was $69,990 in May 2025 ($33.65 an hour), and the middle half of workers earned between $47,670 and $100,480. Pay varies a lot by state, so check the state table before you set a range.
What are good interview questions for a sales representative?
Ask about real situations the person will face on the job, and listen for how they think, not only for the right answer. The questions on this page each come with what a strong answer shows.